You may be asking yourself, “should I study first?” Sure! You can do that. Personally, I found that having a date scheduled in advance helped keep my studies on-track.
But before you do anything, communicate with your advisor. Provide them with the list of CLEPs you’re taking, and which courses these exams will fulfill. Be patient with your advisor — don’t expect them to be a “CLEP Master” on day one. This program is still relatively new, so advisors often aren’t familiar with the program until they work alongside a student who is using it. (Shoutout to my advisor at SNHU, who was amazingly flexible throughout the process.)
If you haven’t already, visit the CLEP website to find your closest testing facility, and get their contact information / website. Or explore online proctoring options.
If taking your exam in-person, visit the CLEP website to select your exam subject, and purchase a “ticket” for your exam. This ticket can be redeemed at any test-taking facility and is good for 6 months.
Next, if taking your exam in-person, contact your local testing facility to schedule your exam date. Some centers offer online booking, others require you to book via phone. Most of them charge an administrative fee of approximately $30, which is paid separately to the testing center. They may ask for your CLEP Ticket Number.
If taking the exam online, you’ll purchase your test registration during the proctor sign-up process.